Dominik Schürmann Trio featuring Max Ionata – Moons (April 8, 2022)

Dominik Schürmann Trio

feat. Max Ionata

Moons Ago (April 8th, 2022)

A wise man once said that it doesn’t matter where jazz goes as long as it takes the tradition with it. With Moons Ago (April 8th) Swiss bassist and bandleader Dominik Schürmann pays homage to the classic sound of 1950s & 60s jazz, through 12 original compositions.

Steeped in the hard-bop era tradition, Schürmann rounds up two fellow leading lights from the blossoming Swiss jazz scene and tops it off with renowned Italian saxophonist Max Ionata.

The repertoire itself - composed in entirety by Schürmann - may be unashamedly old school, but the delivery is fresh. A tongue-in-cheek twist on a Sinatra classic, lush ballads and a couple of latin grooves sit, of course, amongst some hard-swinging straight-ahead tunes. All new treatments, but reminiscent of the titans of yesteryear and their joyous recordings.

Bandleader Dominik himself is a longstanding regular on both the Swiss and international jazz scenes. With over 50 album credits and countless tours, he’s performed with the likes of Jorge Rossy, Hendrik Meurkens, Karl Ratzer, Luis Diego Bonilla, Oscar Klein, George Gruntz, Isla Eckinger, Vince Benedetti and many more.

On piano, Basel-based Italian Yuri Storione may be closer to the beginning of his career, but his impressive virtuosity and already-prolific output has seen him win plaudits from press and fans alike. Alongside him, the drum chair is occupied by Latvian drummer Janis Jaunalksnis; also Swiss based, the music showcases a musician both highly sensitive and deeply swinging.

Fronting the trio as special guest, Schürnmann’s choice of renowned Italian saxophonist Max Ionata is an astute addition to the group's modern-vintage blend. A veteran of the international jazz scene, Ionata emerged in the early 90s and has performed with many modern greats including Robin Eubanks, Billy Hart, Joe Locke, Mike Stern, Bob Mintzer and compatriot Stefano Di Battista.

“His sensitive playing and soft, full sound lend the compositions exactly the appropriate timbre I was looking for. He has a strong sense of tradition and has developed his own personal sound.”

Together, they balance a respect for the tradition with an obvious desire to create something new; it’s likely to strike a chord with classic jazz fans and contemporary listeners alike.

1. Butterflies (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 3:51

2. The End Of A Bug Affair (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 5:26

3. Heureka (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 5:02

4. Autumn Breath (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 4:57

5. Ramba Samba (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 4:42

6. Moons Ago (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 6:06

7. Lonely Owl (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 5:18

8. Afternoon Song (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 5:53

9. Rainy Summer (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 5:11

10. Coffee Cat (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 5:27

11. Banana Dog (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 4:39

12. Malia‘s Waltz (comp. Dominik Schürmann) 4:58

Dominik Schürmann (Bass)

Max Ionata (Tenor Saxophone)

Yuri Storione (Piano)

Jãnis Jaunalksnis (Drums)

Recording date: 14th/15th November 2021

Recording place: Hammer Studio Basel/Switzerland

Online Editor/Distributor: Mons Records (www.monsrecords.de)

Sound Engineer: Hannes Kumke

Dominik Schürmann Website

Storione / Rossy / Schürmann - This Time the Dream's on Us (April 2021 Challenge Records)

"This Time the Dream’s on Me" is the name of Harold Arlen's 1941 song, which made it into the charts twice in the same year with none other than Glenn Miller and Woody Herman. It was composed for the film "Blues in the Night" with lyrics written by the famous singer and songwriter Johnny Mercer. Ella sang it especially tenderly, including it in her two Arlen and Mercer songbooks. It has been covered by many other great artists over the years, from Bird to Miles.

And now we have a technically stupendous pianist at the relatively young age of 27, a classic jazz trio and an album title referring to the Great American Songbook. What could go wrong? The temptation, especially with young jazz musicians (less often with female artists), is well known: to dazzlingly display their instrumental skills over a traditional framework, like a gymnast vigorously working out on the high bar. Unfortunately, the dismount often ends up, despite their virtuosity, stumbling into the mainstream of mediocrity.

Pianist Yuri Storione excels in this endeavour by teaming up with two experienced musicians: the deliberate, steady and precise bassist Dominik Schürmann, and one of the world's best drummers, Jorge Rossy. The balance between the players is already expressed in the trio’s name. Apart from the Arlen tune, another milestone in jazz history, Thelonious Monk's "Ruby My Dear" is the only other work from the Great American Songbook. The remaining ten compositions are Storione’s and Schürmann's own creations – consistently melodic and, in their creative interplay

brilliantly accented music — all of which reward the attentive listener with music that avoids all superficial gimmickry.

The bass is strikingly elegant: Dominik Schürmann is a team player who, from soulful ballads to up-tempo tunes, maintains a clear, reliable beat and a gentle touch. He creates stirring melodic lines that contrast with the piano, and short solos that are as honest as they are clean and inspired. Jorge Rossy’s contribution is an amazingly responsive, imaginative and sensitive drumming: it orders and underlines, decisively shapes, and in a restrained but effective manner accompanies his partners’ solistic excursions. This, like his entire presence here, is truly invaluable.

Within this flexible framework, where both of these stimulating and well-grounded musicians know how to let their vast experience flow fully into each musical moment, Yuri Storione's pianistic exuberance can wholly unfold, blossoming in all its splendor.

What were the last lines of the Mercer lyric? "It can't be true, but / This time the dream's on me." The Storione-Rossy-Schürmann Trio playfully twists and turns this dream. Without bombast and without hesitation, it transforms it in the most satisfying way: directly, easily, with depth and drive, into the reality of a surprising and captivating music: Yes, it can be true.

1. Father and Son 06:56

2. Violeta 06:07

3. Happy Hour 07:46

4. Ms. G. R. 05:23

5. One for Doris 06:21

6. This Time the Dream's on Me 05:17

7. Sambâle 05:48

8. Ruby My Dear 04:01

9. Viva Bud Powell! 05:29

10. Iberica 06:38

11. Lonely Owl 05:38

12. Holding Line 06:47

Yuri Storione - piano

Dominik Schürmann - bass

Jorge Rossy - drums

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